Coupled-Mode Dynamic Instability of Tainter Gates With Parallel Bending Vibration of the Skinplate

As part of the investigation of the dynamic instability of the gate closely related to the Folsom Dam Tainter-gate failure, and in order to assure the dynamic stability of the gate, the field vibration tests on three full-scale operational Tainter-gates were conducted. From these tests, the possible existence of another coupled-mode self excited vibration mechanism, which involves the dangerous dynamic coupling of the whole gate rigid-body rotational vibration with a “parallel” bending vibration of the skinplate was suggested. This paper presents the mechanism of the suggested coupled-mode self-excited vibration, theoretical analysis for the suggested dynamic instability, and 2-dimensional laboratory model tests results. Further, the need for retrofit countermeasures for Tainter gates which are currently installed in both Japan and the USA and susceptible to this dangerous coupled-mode dynamic instability is emphasized.